I know this is one of those age old questions. Which lathe to buy? But I love this forum and folks always provide useful info and insight.

I am getting ready to sell off my JWL 1220 Lathe 3/4HP so the wife (She turns too and has said lets get a new/larger one) and I can move up to turning bigger project. I have done allot of research already which has me narrowed down to 2 basic lathes. (Though I am still considering the JET 1642). I have left the grizzily and some other brands off my radar beause from what I’ve seen so far just didn’t appeal to me. I am still willing to re-consider though if persuaded and if anyone suggests a certain brand.

One link I checked out was from http://www.nealaddy.org/pub/Lathe_List.html which i seen on another forum. Between this forum and the other I have done allot of looking. The perfect lathe is just out of my price range (Such as the One Ways and Robust).

Price Range and NeedsOur Price range is $2500 (After I sell my current lathe, though I would like to stay at 2K.Our needs include turning large bowl, platters, hollow forms, etc. The most spindle type work has been pens, though we have done some candles and such. I do not intend on turning legs or ballisters. (Just a niceety if the capability is there). Which most of the ones I am looking at have that ability.

Wants/Needs- 1.5 HP or above (Prefer 2 HP) - Variable speed (love to be able to dial in and quit moving belts so much)- Also looking to do projects 20” or greater- Quality- Good customer service

My searches narrowed it down to;The Laguna 18-47 (Free shipping in Jan) and the NOVA DVR XP. Both basically seem to suit my needs. Both have large bowl/platter capability either by moving the headstock (NOVA) or moving headstock to very end (Laguna). Both 2HP @ 220V. I have 220 V outlet available. The NOVA is refurbished is easily in our rice range, but not sure if we would go that route.

So what I am hopeing for is some insight into both of these lathes. I have looked at the reviews on here and that is part of how I narrowed down to these 2.

But what is everyones thoughts? Any bad expierences with either? Exceptional expierence with one? Should I consider other lathes? Am I missing anything?

Thanks in advance for he great help everyone provides here.

-- "There are no gains without pains." -Benjamin Franklin

3 replies so far

I don’t have any comparative input for you, but I can tell you that I almost pulled the trigger on a the Nova DVR XP back in November at The Woodworking Show when it was in Denver. Tool King was selling the floor model for about $1700, including the cast iron legs. The machine was assembled new on Friday, then used for demonstration purposes through Sunday. I was very impressed watching it in action. It ran smooth and strong, and never varied by more than 5rpm, even when heavy cuts were being made. It adjusted the torque almost instantaneously to compensate and held it steady.

I’m sure it will go on sale again soon, especially with the introduction of the 2024 being the newest offering from Nova.

I have recently joined our local turning club in hopes of gaining lots of insight into various lathes, as well as speeding up my learning curve when I begin to turn. I’ll be curious to see the responses you get. Thanks for posing the question.

-- Jonathan, Denver, CO "Constructive criticism is welcome and valued as it gives me new perspectives and helps me to advance as a woodworker."

I believe that Woodcraft puts it on sale about once a year, and that should be in the next couple of months, if I remember correctly? I think that it goes on sale for around the price of what I was going to pay for the “demo model,” but the sale price at Woodcraft is just for the lathe itself, not for the cast iron leg set which was going to be included with the “demo model” and the leg set is an additional $399 regular price. That’s why I was so tempted to pick up the lathe at the Woodworking Show, as it was going to be around $1000-off regular price.

I’m sure your local turning club is a great group of people that will be willing to help you learn more about turning and offer solid advice on both tools and technique. You may even be able to pick up a used lathe in good condition from one of the club members.

-- Jonathan, Denver, CO "Constructive criticism is welcome and valued as it gives me new perspectives and helps me to advance as a woodworker."